John Taylor

In the age of 'big data' debates about 'data sovereignty' have been dominated by national governments and multinational corporations focused on issues of access and legal jurisdiction. Missing from those conversations has been consideration of the inherent rights and interests of indigenous peoples regarding the collection, ownership and application of data about their people, lifeways and territories. In this seminar I report on new thinking and emerging practice regarding an assertion of 'indigenous data sovereignty'.

As the global ‘data revolution’ accelerates, how can the data rights and interests of indigenous peoples be secured? Premised on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this book argues that indigenous peoples have inherent and inalienable rights relating to the collection, ownership and application of data about them, and about their lifeways and territories. As the first book to focus on indigenous data sovereignty, it asks: what does data sovereignty mean for indigenous peoples, and how is it being used in their pursuit of self-determination?

Taylor, J. ‘Indigenous Australians: The first transformation’, in S.E. Khoo and P. McDonald (eds.), The Transformation of Australia’s Population: 1970–2030, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, pp. 17–40.

Taylor, J. and Stanley, O. The Opportunity Costs of Business as Usual in the Thamarrurr Region, A Report to the Thamarrurr Regional Council, Northern Office of Indigenous Affairs,and FACS, CAEPR, Canberra, 71pp.

Taylor, J. and Bell, M. ‘Continuity and change in Indigenous Australian population mobility’, in J. Taylor and M. Bell (eds), Population Mobility and Indigenous Peoples in Australasia and North America, Routledge, London and New York, 13–43.